Plenty of interesting articles in this edition. Reading about the Siraya Tribe of Taiwan brought back memories of a trip to Taiwan with Elijah Harper and two other First Nation leaders. We met with Taiwan Ministers of Government and with numerous tribes. The trip garnered significant media coverage from both the Taiwan and Peoples Republic of China (PRC) newspapers. Certainly of interest to both parties given the Tribes were on the island centuries before Chiang Kai-shek. Articles on Treaties and claims, culture along with economic development activity is also found in this edition.
Links to Articles here:
First Nation looks to expand gardening programs after landing national award – Windspeaker.com
Remembering the Great Peace of Montreal – The Eastern Door
A Kamloops Bridge United a Community. Then It Burned | The Tyee
Opinion: Treaties with First Nations are not secret ‘giveaways’
Artist commemorates special occasions and the people who serve – Windspeaker.com
Private Gates Blocking the Walbran Upset Many. Not This First Nation | The Tyee
The Waorani Tribe’s Victory: How One Court Ruling Stopped Oil Drilling in the Amazon – New and Tips
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/aboriginal-indigenous-state-linguistic-changes-9.7291352
Post affirmative action, most Indigenous hires are still from NWT., gov’t says
Together for Nature Tour Featuring Indigenous Artists and Land Protectors Announced
Aboriginal to Indigenous: Leaders, advocates reflect on decades of state linguistic changes
Low sockeye salmon numbers expected in the Okanagan
Meet the Indigenous women restoring Kenya’s Mau Forest — and reshaping gender roles
Aboriginal traditional owners win rights over vast tract of land twice the size of Singapore
B.C. rejects claim of massive, secret land transfers to First Nations | Vancouver Sun
Dabrusin says conditions place on projects will alleviate environmental damage
Meet BC’s Salmon Creek Walkers | The Tyee
Friends of the Attawapiskat River challenge road to the Ring of Fire
Indigenous Tourism Ontario drone shows take off in popularity – Anishinabek News
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/unreserved/sea-ice-north-1.7473027
Mi’kmaw teen’s artwork on store shelves nationwide after winning design contest | CBC News
A Kamloops Bridge United a Community. Then It Burned | The Tyee
‘Our women need to be protected’: Cold Lake First Nations opens its first women’s shelter | CBC News
To live a good and sober life requires a framework of teachings, says author – Windspeaker.com
These First Nations in northern Ontario have hired security to deal with drug traffickers
A Judge Recognized Aboriginal Title on Private Property. Panic Ensued. – Macleans.ca
From “Indian Savages” to “Communist,” Labels Have Consequences – Native News Online
First Nations chiefs in BC call on Carney, Smith to halt pipeline advancement
Aboriginal Lawyers Forum to form new association from CBABC – Business in Vancouver
Alberta court dropping term ‘Gladue report’ for Indigenous offenders over concerns from family
DRUM BEATS:
| Canada Open for Business: Bloomberg’s Message to Global InvestorsThis week, we’re sharing a significant endorsement from Bloomberg’s editorial leadership: a clear message that Canada is reopening its doors to investment. In a comprehensive segment, Bloomberg’s Editor in Chief Emeritus highlights the opportunities and momentum building across Canadian markets, and what this means for investors positioning themselves in the space.The Bloomberg ReportWatch the full segment here: Iskum Investments Advances Plans for Majority Indigenous-Owned Wood Processing Facility in Coastal BCA new majority Indigenous-owned state-of-the-art wood-processing facility in B.C. is now being planned for coastal BC, after Canada committed C$1.2 million to Iskum Investments LP to advance the project. Once built, the wood processing facility could support more than 700 jobs along the province’s coast. The federal funding follows earlier support from the Government of British Columbia in establishing Iskum.The investment lands as Canada’s forest sector contends with tariff pressure and shifting global markets. Ottawa has introduced over C$2.6 billion in support measures for the sector since August 2025, and a full Forest Sector Strategy is due by the end of the year. British Columbia’s forest sector alone supports almost 50,000 jobs and contributes nearly C$5.54 billion to the province’s real GDP.”Our Nations are investing our own capital because we believe the future of coastal forestry should include First Nations not only as tenure holders but as owners, manufacturers and partners in growing the economy,” said Huu-ay-aht First Nations Chief Councillor Sayaač̓atḥ John Jack, Iskum Investments LP founder.He also expressed his gratitude to the Government of Canada and British Columbia for the support in establishing Iskum. “Since then, our Nation-owned businesses have come together with an experienced board and management team to build the foundation for this work,” he added.DRUMBEATS PODCAST North America’s First Indigenous Bond and What Comes Next A new financing model for Indigenous ownership is taking shape in Canada. In October 2025, BMO Capital Markets became the first North American bank to issue a labelled Indigenous bond. The C$200 million instrument was materially oversubscribed and has since been named Environmental Finance’s Social Bond of the Year. That demand is emerging alongside a C$10 billion federal loan guarantee programme and complementary provincial programmes designed to support Indigenous equity participation in major projects. In this episode of Drumbeats, BMO Global Head of Sustainable Finance John Uhren explains why the bank began with a smaller issuance to establish credibility, and why he believes other financial institutions will follow. Jolain Foster, Managing Partner of Nation Building at Deloitte Canada, examines the project side of the capital stack. She describes how proponents are funding capacity within Indigenous nations before construction, enabling communities to assess projects and participate as equity partners. Is Indigenous finance moving from its first successful issuance towards institutional scale? Listen on your favourite podcast platform. Canada Engages Indigenous Communities as It Backs C$2.1 Billion Quebec Phosphate MineNatural Resources Canada is advancing the infrastructure required for First Phosphate’s proposed C$2.1 billion Bégin-Lamarche phosphate mine in Quebec’s Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region, committing $5 million under its First and Last Mile Fund, matched in full by First Phosphate, the Canadian mining company developing the project. The announcement was made on 5 August.Quebec accounts for nearly a fifth of Canada’s mineral production, and the phosphate will be processed into lithium iron phosphate battery-grade material for electric vehicles and grid storage, building on a C$16.7 million contribution announced in March.The funding covers feasibility studies and routing for power and transport links connecting the mine to rail and the Port of Saguenay, including engagement with Indigenous and local communities. Inuit-Led Firm to Deliver Finnish Icebreaker to Canadian Coast Guard for Arctic Season Qikiqtaaluk Horizon Arctic Services (QHAS) will deliver the Polar Class icebreaker MSV Nordica to the Canadian Coast Guard this season. The vessel will support icebreaking, ship escorts, Arctic resupply, search and rescue, and environmental response.QHAS is a joint venture between Inuit-owned Qikiqtaaluk Corporation and St John’s-based Horizon Naval Engineering. Finnish state-owned Arctia has chartered Nordica to Canada for one year, with an option to extend.The agreement places an Inuit-led company within Canada’s expanding Arctic operations. Qikiqtaaluk Corporation is also developing the proposed Qikiqtarjuaq Deep Sea Port at the eastern gateway to the Northwest Passage. |
Dan George:Pipelines: Damned If You Do. Damned If You Don’t.
One of the most difficult conversations taking place in many First Nations today is about pipelines. It is rarely as simple as being “for” or “against.” Our Nations carry two sacred responsibilities.
The first is to protect and steward our lands and waters for future generations. That responsibility has been with us since time immemorial and will continue long after we are gone.
The second is to ensure that our people have access to safe housing, quality education, meaningful employment, strong cultures, good healthcare, and real opportunities to thrive.
Sometimes these responsibilities feel as though they are pulling in opposite directions.
If leadership supports a pipeline, they may be accused of selling out the land.
If leadership opposes a pipeline, they may be accused of denying opportunities that could help lift families out of poverty.
Damned if you do.
Damned if you don’t.
This is why these conversations deserve more than slogans and social media posts. They deserve respectful dialogue, honest information, and the recognition that good people can arrive at different conclusions while pursuing the same goal: a better future for their Nation.
I have worked with communities on every side of this conversation.
What I have learned is this:
The real question is often not whether a pipeline is good or bad.
The real question is whether a Nation has been given the information, the time, the capacity, and the freedom to make a decision that reflects its own values, priorities, and vision for the future.
Self-determination means more than having a choice.
It means having the ability to make an informed one.
Whether a Nation says “yes,” “no,” or “not yet,” that decision should be respected when it is made by the people, for the people, and with future generations in mind.
That is what Nation-building looks like.
